The invention relates generally to charging handles for firearms and more particularly to charging handles having mechanisms to minimize gas discharge affecting the user of the firearm.
For many modern firearms, a charging handle is used to engage the bolt assembly of the firearm so that a preliminary cartridge is loaded into the chamber. This charging handle is typically mounted parallel with the bolt assembly and is manually operated to pull the bolt assembly to insert the first cartridge. Once the first cartridge is loaded, the charging handle is latched to the firearm as the firing of the first cartridge produces sufficient gas pressure to load the second and subsequent cartridges.
Although the gas pressure is utilized to re-charge or reload the cartridges into the chamber, a portion of the gas is inadvertently discharged along the top of the charging handle to impact upon the shooter's face and eyes. This is uncomfortable and is additionally dangerous as unspent gun powder and embers can also be carried along with the gases into the face of the shooter.
A few charging handles have attempted to solve this problem by erecting “barriers” to divert the gas away from the face or with channels which are used to assist in re-directing the gas discharge. Unfortunately, these techniques, although reducing the amount of discharge gases impacting the user, do not reduce the amount of discharge gas to any large extent; hence, there is still an unsatisfactory level of gases being directed to the shooter's face.
It is clear from the foregoing that there is a need for improved gas deflection mechanisms for charging handles.